News Letter of the Los Angeles County Public Library October 1956

              NEWS L E T T E R
LOS ANGELES COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARY
322 S. SRDADWAY P.D. Sox 111 LDS ANGELES 153, CALIF'DRNIA
Volume 10 Number 4 October 1956
BRANCH DAY The long-planned and carefully thought out method of bringing
AT CENTRAL branch and headquarters per sonnel into closer contact, tried
out this month, was so successful that plans are now in the
1 makiag to repeat and expand the procedure.
I
/
Sixty-six staff members from various of the branches spent the forenoon of
October 10, the date usually reserved for the first branches meeting of the new
season, in touring the Divisions at Central, discussing problems with Division
Chiefs, observiag the multiple work that must be expended on every book from its·
ordering to the placing of the volume ia the hands of a branch patron and ia
getting a better knowledge of resources at Ceatral on which they may draw.
~vidad iBto groups of eleven each, captained by Section heads from the Regional
-Seriices Divisioa, the tours were arranged so that every visiting staff member
had opportunity to observe, question and comment.
All tours began in the "Corner Office", Mr. Henderson's domain, where eJery
visitor was welcomed and given a brief outline of the impending Regionalizatioa
which Mr. Henderson predicted would soon be in operation.
"Through Regioaalization we plan to briag you people int o closer coatact with
all our administrative problems." he told them. "We want to briag you int.o the
book selectio• process as much as possible. We want you to assist in coping with
the problems connected with developing the book collect·ion, to help us determine
what books shall be ordered and in what quantity. You are nearer the readers.
You know best what your patroas want," he saido
Ir. Henderson spoke briefly of his current work with next year's bud~et and the
inevitable headache of planning the purchase of the many thousand additioaal
books which the Library must have to fulfill the reading needs of its ezj>anding
patronage and yet retain sufficient funds to provide for the inevitables such
as salaries. rentals, maint,nanee and new construction.
Members of the group piloted by Mrs. Barbara Besne. who on other days holds dowa
the non-fiction request desk, were particularly delighted when Ir. Henderson. ia
answer to a question, identifie~ a aeat row of books back of bis desk• a>me new,
some quite dog-eared, as his own personal "Bargain Book Shelf," All are items of
Civil War, Lincobiana,aad belles-lettres which he said he couldn't resist and
which he had purchased on various lunch periods at near-b1 book shops.
A highlight of the tour was the session in the Reference Division where Sal ly Beck,
who has charge of the pamphlet Section and whose subject specialty is art, gave
an informative and lively description of the Library's reference resources; the _
pamphlet collection which she described as "one of the largest and most up- to-date";
the Granger Poetry Collection which she termed "complete and therefore outstanding"i
the Californiana collection, all of which she said, except for about forty items
"much too valuable to go out", is available to the branches on request.
The visiting groups were the guests of the Staff Associntion for the coffee-break
interlude. Mrs. Beulah Wadleigh, newly elected Association president, Mrs. Burt,
chairman of the Association's Social Committee, and Mrs. Grace M. Cullar, chairman
of the House Co11Jnittee, were the presiding hostesses.
As to repeating the affar, Mrs. Terry, Regional Services Chief, said sa much
interest had been expressed by the branch librarians and staffs who made the
tour she hoped later to work out a schedule whereby an entire forenoon could be
devoted to every one of the various Divisions.
The open house idea was born last year when Mrs. Terry, then president of the
Staff Association, said she felt some procedure should be devised to permit branch
personnel to share in .Associatioa activities.
HARVEST The next get-together for all Library personnel will be the
BREAKFAST Harvest Breakfast November 14 at the Statler Hotel. One additional
author, James Kubeck, an editor with the University of California
Press. has assured Mrs. Wright he will be on hand to discuss his first novel,
The Calendar Epic. Critics have called the book a "blaziag" story of the sea,
"reminiscent of Melville and Conrad."
The Calendar Epi.c.. is a ·s'tory of the Merchaat Marine in the last World War and of
a gallant cargo ship whose first voyage was also its last. Author Kubedcserved
with the Merchant Marine for three years during the war.
Agaia the Breakfast will be held in the Terrace Room.. Although it accomodates
400-plus persons there IS a limit and since reservations have already started
coming in Mrs. Wright reminds us, "Act early~.
BREAKFAST GUESTS
Or OTHER YEARS
Our roster of Brea!das t authors, past as well as present, has
ndW attained such proportions one is apt to meet some of them
almost anyplace. Mrs. Wright recently did. She met two oa
her vacation trip this month to Mexico, literally swiDllling into Mr. and Mrs. c.w.
Wertman in the surf at Puerto Vnllnrta. All who heard the Wortmans give their
delightful talk on their advent"re book, Bouncing Down to Baj·a _w:Ul be interested
to know that on their present trip the gallant jeep gave out at the foot: of a
mountain range. The Wortmans FLEW into Puerto Vallarta. ·
That little seaside village produced other Library news too. A group of citizens
there are ngitnting for a public library. They are being assisted in their campaign
by Willard Motley, author of Knock on Any Door. Learning Mrs. Wright was in their
midst, Motley and his committee called on her to discuss library service. She is
now making arrangements to send them books oa procedures and materials.
- 2 -
MH. HENDERSCN
TALKS CN POETRY
One of the Library's s. ecial resources, the Grnnger Poetry
Collection, was discussed this month by Ir. Henderso• before
a truly appreciative audieace, the California Federation of
Chaparral Poets. He was guest !f> eaker at the group's annual
pilgrimage to the home in the Verdugo Hills of the lite California Poet Laureate,
John Steven McGroarty. Mr. Henderson chose as his subject, The Libraria11, the
library and the pC)ft.
He told how most answers to the requests for poetry information, requests that
are handled cons t antly by the Library, come from "that extremely useful reference
set known as Granger's Index to Poetry which indexes 577 anthologies and lists
several thousand poems by title, first line, author and subject."
"In working with the Index," he said, "the County Library has built up a special
poetry collection which now numbers 500 volu:nes covering the full range of
English, European and American literature. From our Granger Poetry Collection
we can find the complete text of any indexed poem, once it has been identified.
He said there was a live and varied interest in poetry, "even though readers of
poetry, like t he poets themselves, are an elite group that seem to be born, not
made."
The group was told there is "a marked demand" among County Library readers for
W.H. Auden, T.S. Eliot, Robert Graves, Edith Sitwell and Dylan Thomas.
Mr. Henderson also said a revived interest in the poetry of Longfellow, ~merson
and Kipling and the English romantic and Victorian poets has recently been shown
among Library patrons. He paid tribute to poetry as "the oldest form of literary
expression" and assured the poet audience that "the Library makes common cause
with you in promoting the reading of poetry, the great and little masterpieces
of the past and the si gnificant work of our contemporaries."
NEW AND GROWING
SPECIAL RESOURCE
Another special resource of the Library, one fairly new and
just beginning t o be thought of as a "collection", was
mentioned prominently at the 10th birthday celebration of
the Morni ngside Park B~an ch , observed October 19.
Thut was the newly compi led book i i st .Q!._allenqes t o Leisure, prepared by ~1rs. Mary
Rogers Smith, Regional Services Division, for the Senior Citizens Association of
Los Angeles County. The 100 books on the list may be found at the various branches
of the Library. They are suggested as recreational and inspirational reading and
cover such general subjects as arm-chair travel, health problems, retirement
problems, hobbies, religious faiths and beliefs, biographies, humor and poetry.
Mrs. Smith has also compiled a list of books for use by professional and volunteer
workers who seek to aid the elder citizen group in solving any problems they may
have. That list is titled, Growing Htt1 the Years.
Both were distributed, the first for the first time, at Morningside Park's
birthday party.
At the end of the month Mrs. Smith was asked to distribute and discuss the two
booklists at a Volunteers' Workshop being conducted at the Senior Citizens Service
Center at which in-service training is being given to qualify class members to
perform such services as reading aloud, taking care of correspondence and other
similiar duties in the various homes for the aged and in individual homes. She
reported "marked" interest was expressed by the 65 persons enrolled in the class.
- 3. -
MORNINGSIDE PARK'S
TENTH BIRTIIDAY
Morningside Park's birthday celebration, planned and
arranged by Branch Libxarian, Mrs. Georgia Zalkin, brought
together many of the people who assisted at the opening· of
th~ branch ten years ago. Mr. Henderson recalled that the plot of ground on which
the library stands had been •a baseball diamond when he first looked at it as a
possi ble library site. Mrs. Raymond v. Darby, widow of the late Supervisor, who
at that time was the Mayor of Inglewood and the donor of the property, recalled
how she had been accorded the oonor of withdrawing the first book from the new
branch.
The occasion was fully noted by both County and Inglewood city officials.
Supervisor Kenneth Hahn was there to again speak en~husiastically of his interest
in t he Library and its cultural service and to again declare it one of the most
important Departments of County government. Inglewood City Councilman Frederick
Co Jones, and John A. Simpson of the Inglewood Parking Commission, both of whom
had attended the dedication a decade ago, were also present. They commended .the
service Mrso Zalkin has rendered during her ten years as the branch librarian.
NEW HOME FOR The Branch Catalog Section of the Technical Services
CATALOG SECTION Division and the Multilith Section of the Business
Division were installed in new quarters this month in the
Ferguson Building, 307 South Hill Streeto
These Sections now occupy the entire top floor of the building, 4,332 square feet
of space, and the wonder now is how did the two manage to operate in the small
room they occupied on the third floor at Central. Mrs. Beryl Martin, Catalog
S.ection head0 bas a small business-like office of her own and no longer has to
function at a desk set corner-wise in an open doorway.
The impressive new quarters look precisely like t he small, efficient publishing
planit that they are since these are the two Secions that compile, revise and print
the Book Catalogso
Frances Alexander, who has charge of the Children's Book Catalog, is now working
on the fifth edition, a completely revised one, designed for the use of children, ,
parents and teachers. Many sub-heads have been added. The edition should be out
in January ..
- J
Dist ribution of the second edition of the Adult Authors Catalog is being temporarily
held up awaiting receipt of new plastic binders which will replace the old spiral
backs. Multilithing of the pages for the second edition of the Adult Fiction
Catalog has st~rted.
BOOK PRIZES Two County Library patrons, both young girls, one at Bell
ARE AWARDED Branch11 the other at Bandini, were among the twelve wjnners
in the book drawing contest staged by the combined public
librar ies of Southern California as a feature of the library exhibits at the
County Fair.
Amelia Johnson9 Bell Branch Librarian, had the satisfaction of seeing one of her
newer and younger readers, an avid Third Grade book fan, Betsy Ann Briggs, 9,
win one of th~ two prizes allotted to the 8-to-10-year-old age group.
The book was The Golden Treasury of Natural History by Bertha Morris Parker,
famed science writer and teacher, who is connected with the Laboratory S'Chool,
University of Chicago, and is a Research Associate of the Chiengo Museum of
- 4 -
Natural History. A series of science books for children, The Basic Science
Education Series, all written by her are among the most popular volumes in the
Library's juvenile collection,
The book was given to Miss Briggs, one of 140 contestants in her age group,
November 22 by Mrs. Terry, in ceremonies at the Bell Branch,
The following day Mrs. Terry presented a copy of Goode's World Atlas, the prize
for the 13-to-20-year-old age group to Vicki Lindsey, 14, at the Bandini Branch.
Branch Librarian there, Mrs. Alice Brasket, said Vicki, a student in junior high
school had been one of her constant readers for the past 'five years. Miss Lindsey
vied with 141.other contestants in ·her age group.
A total of lll4 persons entered the contest, Of that number 237 were patrons of
the County Library. Patron participation was most numerous at the West Covina
Branch. Rosemead and South Whittier Branches tied for second place.
REGIOOAL MEETS
HAVE STARTED
First of the new season's Regional Meetings were held
this month, both on October 24, at bose~a4 and Huntington
Park.
Carlotta H<>ye, ft~.ntington Park Branch Librarian, presided at the session there,
where discussion centered on library procedures. Mrs. Elna Burt, Central,
supervising clerk in charge of overdoes, Mrs. Aileen Phillips, CentTal, who has
charge of cash collections, and Margretta Marshall, Branch Supervisor, comprised
the answex panel. The group discussed handling of new fiction request forms,
overdue problems and monthly records sent to Central,
Miss Marshall exhibited the slides she has made showing branch actiyities.
Miss Florence A. Berg, Branch Librarian, was the hostess at the session at Rosemead,
at which Mr, Henderson presided. He discussed book selection and phases of
Regionalization, the subject of predominant i terest to all Library personnel,
Two Regional Me~tings will be held November 21. Mrs. Marian C. Hayes, Personn•l
Assistant, will lead discussion at the Stephenson Branch where methods of most
efficiently planning a branch day will be aired. Problems of time schedules,
time sheets, overl pping schedules, express time, make-up 'time and rush periods
are expected to be gone into thoroughly. Branch librarians who attend are urged
to speak up on any complexities th t bother them.
The other November 21 meeting will be held at the Downey Branch where G. Calvin
Tooker, Norwalk Branch Librarian, will preside. Public relations is the topic
scheduled for discussion.
NEW PAMPHLET Mrs. Greene, who represented the Library October 6 at the
RECOMMEM>EI> 25th annual Conference of the Federation of Conmunity
Coordinating Councils, was so impressed with a pamphlet
exhibited by the Wilshire Council, one that group had compiled and published,
she.has arranged for copies to be sent all branches. They are now on order. The
pamphlet is titled taws for Youth. It gives a brief interpretation of all statutes
governing typical situations that confront young people. The Wilshire Juvenile
Divisi. on of the Los Angeles Police Dep•rtment assisted in the booklet's preparation,
- 5 -
g1v1ng facts and information on problems believed to be most pertinent to t his
area. The pamphlet is intended f or the guidance of parents and for youth itself
to read. Explanation of the various laws and ordinances is given in layman ' s
language so a teen-ager can understand.
Traffic laws pertaining to bicycles; the curfew orainance; permiss ble and
non-permissible employment of minors; laws involving guns and knives; hitch­hiking;
loitering near schools; school att endance; morals offenses, are among
the many subjects listed and made plain.
BRANCH OPENING
COMING UP
New quarters for the Lawndale ~ranch at 147t~ Street and
Burin Avenue are expected to be ready for ~ccupan cy in
time for a December opening, according to Mr. Geller .
They are a part of the new Lawndale Civic Center. one irnmemse buil~ing that
includes an Administration wing and a health center as well. Cons~ruction on
the project began · 1ast February. Space al lotted the .Library includ.es 3, 400
square feet, .sufficient to vastly increase services over what we we were able
to offer in the past~ Whereas the total book collection at the old branch numbered
only 6,195 volumes, the new one is expected to open with 14,000 books.
MRS MARTINEZ AIDS
BIG RIVERA EVENT
and to lead up to
lOOth anniversary
Mrs . Rosali a Mart inez, Rivera Branch Librarian, was
instrumental this month in helping to start an event in
her comnunity, which is planned to be an annual affair
a jubilee celebration in 1968, the year that will ma~k the
of the founding of the town•
This initial event is a Pioneer Parade, to be held November 3. Mrs. Martinez ,
plans to ride in a horseadrawn carriage, decorated with library posters and bQok
covers. Although not as old as the community, nevertheless the Rivera Branch
DOES have a long history0 It extends a full 43 years back.
HIGH HONOR FOR Irene Davenport, Lomita Branch Librarian, was named The
IRENE DAVENPORT Woman of the Year in her communit'y this month by the Lomita
. Business and Professional Women's Club, who conducted a
public balloting to arrive at the town's majority choice. The club's annua~ award
was presented to Miss Davenport at a public dinner October 3.
MRS. BRYSON AIDS
GREAT BOOKS GROUP
Mrs. Elizabeth Bryson, Downey Branch Librarian, helpeq
organize a Great Books discussion group in her area this
month. Sessions wi ll be held every two weeks for a two­hour
period at the Libraryo
TALKS GIVEN Mrs. Vera G. Paul, Claremont Branch Librarian, and
AT CLAREMONT Mrs. Winifred Ragsdale, Children's Librarian at the branch,
were guest speakers at the October 10 meeting of the
Claremont Junior Woman's Club. Both discussed ways in which the library and
community can cooperate for mutual benefit.
LETI'ER OF PRAISE
FOR MRS. ZALKIN
by ~trs. \'Jright.
A letter of appreciation for a book talk given by Mrs. Georgi~
Zalkin, Morningside Park Branch Librarian, before the Pi .
Beta Phi Alumnae Club in her community was received this month
An officer of the club, Mrs. Slizabeth Barnes. wrote. "Mrs. Zalkin's
- 6 -
" -
choice of books and her manner in reviewing them captivated us all. We want to
thank you for your part in arranging her visit."
GIFT BOOKS FOR
TWO BRANCHES.
collection.
Walteria Branch was the recipient this month of a $25
gif.t from the Walteria Ki•anis Club to be used for the
·purchase of Easy Books for the lValteria Children's
The El Monte chapter of the Lady Waltons, Izaak Walton League of America, gave
the El Monte Branch money to purchase two books on conservation. ltrs. Josephine
McAdams, Branch Librarian, chose the volumes, Freedom and Plenty by Wilfrid Swancourt
Bronson, and Friendly Forrests by Alma Chesnut Moore.
WELCOME TO
MRS. CAMPSIE
Ir. He'nderson has a new secretary and the staff at Central
a new colleague. She is Mrs. Alexandra Campsie, who
transferred from the Department of the County Engineer
where she had been secretary to the Business Manager, Percy R. Johnson. because,
as she said, she has "always loved books" and felt it "would be· Heaven to work in
a library."
LIFE EN15 FOR
MISS MACNAIR
Rebecca s. MacNair, Chief of the Order Division from
September 1q16, when she joined the Libraiy staff. to
September 1940, when she retired, died September 30 from
a heart condition. She was 72 years old. Although she had suffered ill health
for some time she maintained a lively interest in the Library and her Library
associates and will be greatly missed by the many staff members who knew. loved
and worked with her. Sympathy is extended to her family.
FROM THE CHILDREN'S DIVISION
NOVEMBER BOOK The November session of the regular first-Wednesday-of
REVIEW MEETING the-month Book Review Meeting will be held at Central in
the space on the third floor fol'!IErly occupied by the
Branch Catalog and IBM Sectionso The site may not be permanent but at least it
provides a place for one meet1ng and gives Branch personnel another opportunity
to visit Central. Please, everybody, attend!
Mrs. Lillian B. Freer, Live Oak Branch Librarian, celebrated the second anniversary
of the establishment of her branch with a story-hour party for her pre-school and
primary school patrons ••• Mrs. Sa~ah L. Moody, Children's Librarian, Compton Branch.
entertained her story-hour audience October 22 with a special Halloween program
featuring Witch tales, Cat tales and ghost stories. Twenty-two children shuddered
delightedly for a two-hour period ••• Alice Stjernquist, Central, is preparing a
book discussion hour for fifth grade patrons of the-Lakewoood Branch in which the
Colonial period in American history is to be featured. Date for the event is­November
15 ••• Mrs. Vettelene Evans, Paramount Branch, taking note of the fact that
Pinocchio and the Blue Fairy received extraordinary attention in Italy this surmner,
duplicated a bit of the celebration at her branch. Since a fifteen-foot statue of
the two was unveiled last July in Pescia, Italian village in which their creator
was born, Mrs. Evans unveiled a miniature statue of them in her CJ1ildren's· section.
It had been carved in Pescia and was the gift of Mrs. Phyllis Graef, Paramount
patrono Pinocchio books and books about Italy completed the display ••• Mrs. Lucille
- 7 -
Thom~on, Culver City Branch Librarian, sponsored a celebration of another famous
story-book character0 Rumpelstiltskin. She arranged for Mrs. Myrl Linthacum,
Director of Creative Drama for Children, to present one of her programs, in which
the story is first told then dramatised by the juvenile audience. Rumpelstiltskin
was brought to life by a large and enthused group of youngsters.
STAFF NEWS AND NCYrES
Mrs. K. Doris Johnson, who has been the Bellflower Branch Librarian since July 1951 ..
transferred this month to the Bellflower Regional headquarters. Her former Assistant,
Mrs. Irene s. Allen, has been appointed to succeed her at the Branch ••••• New Sta_ff
Associatio• officers, elected this month, are; Mrs. Beulah Wadieigh, Order Division,
President; Luigia A. Castiello, Order Division, Vice-Presidenti Mrs. Helen Mencher,
Regional Services Division, Secretary, and Mrs. Belle B. Reichel, Office, Treasurer.
Committee Chairmen include: Mrs. Grace M. Cullar, Office, House; Mrs. Elna Burt,
Regional Services Division, Sociali Rudolph Nichols, Technical Services Division,_
Public Relations and Mrs. Deborah Wilds, Regional Services Division, Welfare ••••• The former Glenadene Clark, typist-clerk, Technical Services Divisi.on, was married
September 2 to Robert Evans, aircraft mechanic •••• Mrs. Thelma Hayes, typist-clerk,
in the Reference Division since May 1954, has resigned because of home duties •••••
Allen La Mont, clerk, Order Division has also resigned. He is moving to another
city •••• Newcomers include Mrs. Barbara A. Melnick, Librarian I, Regional Services
Division. Mrs. Melnick has formerly served as librarian with the armed forces
overseas and was Post Librarian at Fort Ord ••• Mrs. Genevieve Bale, Librarian I,
Order Division, is also a newcomer ••• So is Mrs. Ann M. Verdugo, typist-clerk.
Technical Services Division. She came to the Library from one of the largest book
stores in the area, Vromans ••• Mrs. E. Lucille Gatewood, typist-clerk, Technical
Services Divisi. on, transferred from the Charities Department and Mrs. Doris J.
Hous,on, typist-clerk Order Division, transferred from Civil Service ••• Another new
colleague is Bernard Talisman, Librarian I, assigned to the Bellflower Mobilibrary •••
Mrs. Hypatia Y. Petkus, Regional Services Division, who does book selection in the
field of fiction, is enjoying a brief visit with her sister, Violetta M.L. Yeas, US
Airforee Librarian, who has j ust completed a two-year tour of duty at Kadena Air
Force Base, Okinawa, and is enroute to New York City ••• Mrs. Beth Barker, Pay Roll
Clerk, has taken maternity leave0 The Barker baby is expected in December •••••
Mrs. Doris Northnagle, typist-clerkq Office, is also looking forward to a visit
from the stork. Both were showered vi th layette items at an Office party this month •••
Armagene Moore, Children's Division, who worked on the outgoing book shipments, has
transferred to the Bureau of Public Assistance, Department of Charities ••••••• Ellen
Johnson, Order Division9 has transferred to the County Clerk's Office. At the final
Staff Association party .arranged by the outgoing officers, coffee mugs, engraved
with individual names, were presented to all the perro nnel at Central. Credit for
the practical and attractive idea goes to Mrs. ~nnie Marie Brown, chairman last
year of the HouseColilllittee.,
UW:dn
11-5-56